Andros and Ashley Romance Themes
by Phantom Rosabelle
Summary: My response to the Ars Amatoria Romance Theme Challenge. Discontinued.
1. Time

**Disclaimer:** The drabbles are mine, the idea isn't. If you can't figure it out from the summary, the challenge was up on Ars Amatoria. Oh, and I don't own the Power Rangers.

**Author's Note:** Okay, a couple of things here. One, these 40 stories take place through the course of one day. Not sure why myself, they just do. Two, I normally don't write in first person or the present tense, so if something seems a little off, please tell me so I can figure out where I messed up. Three, in these drabbles, Andros and Ashley are about 27 years older than I am, so I'm fairly certain that I got some more stuff wrong here. Four, this is basically random fluffy, so enjoy!

**Time**

When I was alone, it seemed to pass slowly. Each second that ticked by was an eternity. I can't remember how many eternities passed while I waited, so cold and so numb. I waited for my friend to awaken, my home to rebuild, my sister to be found. I can't remember much from those years, actually. As slowly as time passed, when it finally began to move again, I wasn't left with much to show for those years. All that I was left with to remember those long years was the overwhelming sense of lonliness.

Then she was there, and time never seemed to slow down. She never slowed down, either, and for the longest time, that alone never failed to scare me. I was so certain that I'd lose her somehow, and all I knew was that I couldn't bear that silence again, not after she'd taught me to laugh again.

She laughed a lot. She smiled a lot, too, and somehow, that's all it took for my heart to demand to laugh and smile, too. Again, I was afraid, but when I think about it now, it wouldn't surprise me if she knew that all along. Time after time, she was always there when I needed her, constantly reminding me that I wasn't alone any longer. As long as she was around, I knew I never would be.

I'm still not alone. She stirs in my arms, and I can't help but smile. After all these years, she's still here, keeping me as safe as I keep her.

"Morning," she whispers into my chest, stretching lazily. She rolls onto her back and her fingers reach up to toy with the ends of my hair. It's still very early, but I can see her smile even in the near blackness of our room.

"Morning," I whisper back, leaning down to kiss her mouth. Her arms are around my neck before I realize it, and there's nothing I can do but hug her back and hold her like I wasn't meant to do anything else. Maybe I wasn't.

"Andros," she murmurs, nuzzling against me. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ash," I say softly, hugging her hard. We've said those words to each other thousands of times now, but she still smiles everytime I say them. Time hasn't dulled the sense of wonder I feel everytime I hear them, either.

"Happy anniversary," I add a moment later, remembering what day it was.

"Took you long enough," she teases, smiling. "I thought you'd forgotten."

"Never," I retort, giving her a quick kiss. "I just can't believe how long it's been."

"Neither can I," she admits, her big brown eyes sparkling up at me. "It doesn't seem like twenty-five years, does it?"

"No," I say with a shake of my head, and it doesn't. Time hasn't stopped in years. "Sometimes it seems like I only met you yesterday."

"Funny," she says softly. "I was just thinking that."

She smiles and tilts her head up to me, and there's nothing else to do but kiss her. She kisses me back, and I smile against her lips, knowing that there's nothing that can keep me from loving her until the end of time.


	2. Dawn

**Disclaimer:** The drabbles are mine, the idea isn't. If you can't figure it out from the summary, the challenge was up on Ars Amatoria. Oh, and I don't own the Power Rangers.

_**Mz. Daydream:** They've been married for 25 years. _

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Here's more. This is lots of fun!_

_**Mel:** I'm switching POV every chapter. :P The easiest way to remember is if it's odd, "I" is Andros, and if it's even, "I" is Ashley._

_**Jenny:** I think 43. Don't worry, they had some stripey babies, and they'll show up. And as soon as you're done reading, GO WRITE! AND POST:D_

**Dawn**

We must have fallen asleep again, for the next thing I know, the morning sunshine is streaming in through the curtains. Andros is still holding me close to him, the expression on his face so peaceful I almost don't dare move for fear of disturbing him. I ease myself away from the warmth of his body, slowly pushing myself up until I'm sitting, but Andros doesn't so much as twitch as I climb out of bed.

I stop and turn back to him as I reach the balcony doors, unable to resist glancing at him just once more. The only time he's cuter than when he's asleep is when he's embarrassed and trying to hide it. I'm not entirely sure how I manage to tear my eyes off of him, but somehow, I do, and I step onto our balcony as quietly as I can.

Really, it's not so much a balcony as a corner that the builders forgot to put a roof on, but as long as I have the room to sit and watch the sunrise, I don't care how small it is. I settle myself comfortably in a lawn chair, feeling a slight dampness to the cushion I'd left there ages ago. It's still early enough in the morning for all the leaves and blades of grass to still be covered with dew, but I know that everything will be dry in an hour or two.

Birds chirp their quiet songs as I stare out at the horizon, watching the pale sky in the east slowly tinge pink and then a brilliant, flaming orange. There's only one thing that can make this sight truly perfect, and it's not a moment later that I smile to myself. I don't need to turn around to know he's there.

"Mind if I join you?" he asks quietly.

"Of course you can, silly," I tell him without turning away from the brilliant sunrise. "C'mon. Sit down."

I hear his feet pad quietly against the floorboards as he walks the few steps to my side. I expect him to take the second chair, just inches from the one I sit in, but instead, he grabs my hand and tugs gently. I laugh and let him pull me out of the chair, giving him just enough time to sit before I join him. I sit in his lap and curl up against him as best the chair allows me to and sigh contentedly.

"Do you remember," I ask suddenly, "how we used to watch the sunrise on the Megaship?"

He chuckles quietly, and I know what he's about to say. "We didn't do anything," he insists, stroking my hair with the hand not resting on my waist. "I was on the Observatory for some peace and quiet, and then you had to come ruin that!"

"You'd think you'd have found a new hiding place after the first week," I retort, tucking my head under his chin as I add, "I'm glad you didn't."

"So am I," he agrees, kissing the back of my head. "You have no idea how glad."

He wraps both his arms completely around me then, and we fall silent, happy to simply hold each other as a new day breaks.


	3. Song

**Disclaimer:** The drabbles are mine, the idea isn't. If you can't figure it out from the summary, the challenge was up on Ars Amatoria. Oh, and I don't own the Power Rangers.

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** You were right, this isn't hard at all! It's fun:D_

**Jessica01:** Thanks. This is pretty different for me too, but I like it.

**Song**

She sings every morning. Most of the songs I recognize. They're the ones that have always been her favorites, and she's sung them almost everyday for years. Others are newer, usually love songs, and they only last a week or so.

There's just one song I don't know. I've never heard the tune anywhere else, and the running water of the shower and the way the sound echoes against the walls always distorts the sound just enough so that I can't make out the words. I don't care that I can't hear the words, her voice really is beautiful no matter what.

There's something about the way she sings that one song that makes me wish I knew what it was. I wish I knew what about that one song makes her voice so sweet and pure.

The sound of running water stops suddenly, and the last note echoes clearly against the tile of the shower. Just as it dies away, the bathroom door opens, and Ashley steps into our room, a towel wrapped snugly around her body and a sunny smile on her face.

"Hey," she says brightly. Instead of going to the closet, she comes and wraps her arms around me. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ash," I whisper, my arms going around her. I'm lost in her eyes before I know it, but I don't care. "What were you singing?"

"You heard that?" she exclaims, blushing immediately.

I have to laugh at her reaction. "You do know the bathroom isn't soundproof?"

Ashley groans quietly and buries her face against my chest, mumbling words I can't hear. I just hold her, completely surprised. She's never been shy, and I've heard her sing with Cassie all over town.

:She pulls back a moment later, her face still beet red. "Andros? It was only that song you heard, right?"

I hesitate. I don't want to lie to her, but I don't want to embarrass her anymore than I already have, so I do nothing, and she seems to figure it out for herself.

"You heard all of it, then," she mumbles.

"Ash, I've always heard you," I finally admit, wondering what I've done wrong. "I thought you knew."

She slowly shakes her head and stares down at the carpet. There are tears in her eyes now, and I just hold her as she lets them fall. I don't think she cries much, but it's still my fault that she's upset, and I wish now that I'd just kept my mouth shut.

"I'm sorry, Ash," I whisper. "I didn't meant to upset you."

"Then why didn't you ever say anything?" she asks, her voice smaller than I've heard it in years. "I wouldn't have kept doing it if I knew."

"I thought you knew I could hear," I say again, now feeling completely horrible.

"Well, I didn't know," she mumbles. "Even if you thought I knew you could hear, why didn't you ever say anything? Ever tell me to stop?"

"Why would I want you to?" I ask, surprised. "You have a beautiful voice, Ash."

"But that's when I'm really singing," she says softly. "I'm just fooling around in there."

"It doesn't matter," I insist. "You still sound beautiful."

"Thanks, I guess," she says, a small smile forming on her face.

"So, what were you singing?" I ask again.

She blushes again, her cheeks flushing bright pink as she hesitates. "Just something I made up ages ago," she says finally. "It's nothing."

"It's not," I say. "Or you wouldn't sing it every morning."

"It's dumb, anyway," she insists. "Just some sappy love song I made up years ago."

"Would you... sing it for me?" I ask hesitantly. "Just once? I can never hear the words..."

Ashley looks tremendously relieved to hear that. "Maybe someday," she says slowly. "If you'd want to hear it."

"I want to hear it," I say instantly. "Really, Ash. I do."

"I'll sing it for you someday, then," she agrees.

"You'll keep singing, won't you?" I ask suddenly.

"I..." She shifts uncomfortably, and I sigh.

"Don't stop," I plead. "Promise me you won't."

She hesitates. "It means that much to you? Just hearing me?"

I nod instantly. "I'll never say anything about it if you don't want me to, Ash. Just promise me you'll never stop singing."

Her smile is almost shy for a minute or two, but then she nods happily. "I promise." 


	4. Mirror

**Disclaimer:** The drabbles are mine, the idea isn't. If you can't figure it out from the summary, the challenge was up on Ars Amatoria. Oh, and I don't own the Power Rangers.

_**Mz. Daydream:** I love cute Andros! He's so much fun. :D_

_**Juzblue: **Here's more. Hope you like this one just as much._

_**Jessica01:** Because she was singing about him. :P_

**Mirror**

I study my reflection thouroughly, and frown. I'm not sure I like mirrors anymore. I should be - and am - happy that I don't look as old as I am, but lately, I think age has begun to catch up. I can see lines on my face now, and I know that my figure has changed. Andros swears that he doesn't see any, but I'm sure that there's some gray in my hair now. I know it's vain, not to mention completely ridiculous, but I remember how I used to look, and sigh.

"What's wrong?"

I jump, not realizing that he'd gotten out of the shower. He pauses in the doorway between our bedroom and our bathroom, narrowing his eyes at me. I look away, but I know I haven't fooled him. He sighs and crosses the room in few steps, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind.

"Ash," he whispers, "you're beautiful, you know."

I try to smile. "Thanks."

He hugs me closer in answer, bending his head to kiss the back of my neck. His damp hair falls forward, tickling my skin. I squirm, but he doesn't stop. He just keeps kissing me, not even loosening his hold on me until I really am smiling.

"You're beautiful," he insists, tightening his arms around me for just the briefest moment. "Really, Ash."

"Maybe," I say. "But, well, I don't know..."

"You don't look the same as you did," he finishes.

I nod with a sigh and lean back against him as he pulls me a little closer. He's only wearing a towel around his waist, and the warmth of his bare skin is slowly seeping into me.

"Ash, do I look the same?" he asks, gesturing towards the mirror.

I stare into the mirror again, this time smiling at what I see. There are more laugh lines on his face than there are on mine, and the streaks in his hair aren't quite as blond as they used to be, but he's still Andros.

My Andros.

"Yeah," I tell him. "You look the same."

He makes a face at me, one meant to tell me that I know what he's trying to say and I'm just being difficult on purpose. I'm not, really. I know he can't look the same as he did when I first met him, but I can't see the change without looking hard for it.

"Ash," he says softly, finally releasing me. He rests his right hand over my heart, and brushes at my eyelashes with his left. "The most beautiful parts of you have never changed."

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at his words. In the end, I settle for kissing his fingers, not sure I can say anything if I try. He smiles and wraps his arms around me again, pulling me back into his embrace as our reflections smile back at us.


	5. Color

**Disclaimer:** The drabbles are mine, the idea isn't. If you can't figure it out from the summary, the challenge was up on Ars Amatoria. Oh, and I don't own the Power Rangers.

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Don't kill me! I wrote more:P_

_**Juzblue:** Here's more random fluffy sweetness._

_**Mz. Daydream:** I think I have an inability to write Andros as anything other than completely sweet once he and Ashley get together. :P_

_**Jenny:** Yeah, that's right. I just happened to choose their twenty-fifth anniversary as that one day. :P Go write your two thingys and post!_

**Color**

All rangers seem to have an unexplainable attatchment to their color. There's no reason I should still wear red when I haven't so much as touched a morpher in over twenty years, but I don't think a day has gone by when I haven't, and I can't remember how long it's been since I've seen Ashley wear no yellow at all.

"Andros?"

Her hand on my shoulder startles me and I jump. She laughs and slips both her arms around my waist, resting her chin on my shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she murmurs. "You've been staring into the closet for ten minutes."

"Do I always wear red?"

She just laughs. Her hair tickles my skin as she turns her head to kiss my shoulder. "You look good in red."

"That's not what I asked," I say, twisting away from her. She's kissing my neck now, and if she doesn't stop, I don't think I'll need to worry about getting dressed.

Ashley shrugs. "Yeah, you do. But the rest of us still wear our colors too. I don't think we'll ever stop."

"You don't always wear yellow," I say.

"No," she agrees, laughing as she adds, "But if I'm not wearing yellow, I'm wearing red."

She steps past me into the closet, rifling through my shirts. She tugs one off of its hanger and twines the sleeves across her shoulders with a grin. "How do I look?"

"You know you're beautiful," I say with a grin of my own. "Now give me my shirt back!"

"No." Her chocolate eyes sparkle teasingly as she pushes her arms through the sleeves. "Not until I see you in yellow."

"Ash?"

"I've worn red, but you've never worn yellow," she explains. "I want to see you in yellow."

"I look horrible in yellow," I protest. "And if we don't hurry, we'll be late for work and Ella will be late for school."

"She won't mind." Ashley grins. "Come on, just for a minute. Please? For me? I'll never tell anyone if you look awful."

"If?" I repeat dryly. "And anyway, nothing of yours will fit me."

I gesture towards the blouse she's wearing under my shirt. I'm only a few inches taller than her, but her figure is considerably smaller than mine. She glances down at herself for a moment, frowning.

"Here," she says suddenly, smiling to herself. She strides over to our dresser and rummages around in the bottom drawer for a moment. She stands and thrusts an oversized yellow T-shirt at me, one of the many she sleeps in. "Put it on."

"Ash..." I sigh and take the shirt from her, glaring at her as I do. "If you ever tell anyone-"

"I already said I wouldn't!" she exclaims indignantly. "Hurry up!"

With another sigh, I tug the shirt over my head. It doesn't quite fit, but I doubt I'd look any better if it did. Ashley bursts out in giggles and I glare at her. She doesn't seem to mind, and I sigh again, peeling the shirt off.

"Happy now?" I grumble. "I look horrible!"

"Yeah, you really do," she admits. "You should stick to red."

"I told you," I say, but I know I'm smiling. "Now give me my shirt back!"

She shrugs out of it and tosses it to me. I smile as I put it on, feeling the warmth of her body through the material. She settles herself comfortably on the bed, waiting patiently for me to button my shirt and put on some shoes. I turn to her and she hops up, her arms locking around my neck.

"Love you," she murmurs. "You'll be home early, right?"

"I love you too, Ash," I whisper back. "I'll try."

"You'd better be," she says, giving me a quick kiss. "I've got a surprise for you, and don't want to have to wait until tonight to tell you."

"You could tell me now," I suggest hopefully.

"It's a surprise, silly," she says, her eyes gleaming. "You'll just have to wait."

I know I'm making a face at her, and she just grins, her eyes still sparkling teasingly. I lean my forehead against hers and smile back, knowing that I'll be seeing the warm brown of her eyes for the remainder of the day.


	6. Routine

**Disclaimer:** The drabbles are mine, the idea isn't. If you can't figure it out from the summary, the challenge was up on Ars Amatoria. Oh, and I don't own the Power Rangers.

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** You can't kill me! I wrote more:P_

_**Juzblue:** I just can't see Andros in yellow. :D The surprise is in Reaction._

**Routine**

When we finally leave our room, his arm is draped loosely around my shoulders, keeping me close to him. I smile and hug him impulsively as he turns toward the kitchen, wrapping my arms around his neck. He hugs back and my smile grows.

"I'll make breakfast," he offers.

"As long as I get Ella up," I finish for him. "We do this every morning, Andros."

He smiles sheepishly and nods, kissing me a final time before we go about our morning routine. I smile and move down the hall quietly, pausing in the doorway to watch our youngest daughter sleep for a moment. No matter how perfect things seemed when we were eighteen, it was our children that kept us close through everything that came after.

Slowly, I make my way through the darkened room, careful not to trip or stumble over the growing piles of clothes and books on her floor. She mumbles sleepily as I shake her shoulder, turning her face into the pilllow.

"Ella..."

"Don't wanna get up," she wails, as she does every morning. Her lower lip juts out as she stares up at me, her brown eyes perfectly round.

"Just because that works on your father..." I say sternly, but I know I'm smiling.

Ella looks down and sighs, but smiles a moment later. "Is Dad making pancakes?"

"Get dressed and come see," I tell her as I leave the room.

"Fine," I hear her grumble as she forces herself out of bed. I only laugh and move toward the kitchen where, sure enough, Andros is making pancakes.

"Hey," I murmur, slipping my arms around his waist from behind. "Aren't you done yet?"

I can feel him stiffen a laugh. "You're hungry, then?"

"Starved," I say brightly. "And you know how much Ella can eat... Need any help?"

"Ash, pancakes are the one thing that I can cook without your help," he reminds me, turning away from the stove just long enough to wrap an arm around my shoulder.

"And it took you long enough to learn, too," I tell him sweetly. "But you did look cute covered in flour."

He glares at me, but smiles, and I laugh. I can't help but smile as I remember all the times we ended up covered in spilled flour or worse, batter, and it's really quite funny how many burned pancakes we went through. But what I remember most is how he truly opened up when we were alone, how he'd let himself laugh instead of just smiling shyly.

"Hey," he says quietly, tapping my shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"

I smile. "You."


End file.
